Breaking Math Podcast

89. Brain Organelles, AI, and the Other Scary Science - An Interview with GT (Part I)

03.05.2024 - By Gabriel Hesch and Autumn PhaneufPlay

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This conversation explores the topic of brain organoids and their integration with robots. The discussion covers the development and capabilities of brain organoids, the ethical implications of their use, and the differences between sentience and consciousness. The conversation also delves into the efficiency of human neural networks compared to artificial neural networks, the presence of sleep in brain organoids, and the potential for genetic memories in these structures. The episode concludes with an invitation to part two of the interview and a mention of the podcast's Patreon offering a commercial-free version of the episode.

Takeaways

* Brain organoids are capable of firing neural signals and forming structures similar to those in the human brain during development.

* The ethical implications of using brain organoids in research and integrating them with robots raise important questions about sentience and consciousness.

* Human neural networks are more efficient than artificial neural networks, but the reasons for this efficiency are still unknown.

* Brain organoids exhibit sleep-like patterns and can undergo dendrite growth, potentially indicating learning capabilities.

* Collaboration between scientists with different thinking skill sets is crucial for advancing research in brain organoids and related fields.

Chapters

1. 00:00 Introduction: Brain Organoids and Robots

2. 00:39 Brain Organoids and Development

3. 01:21 Ethical Implications of Brain Organoids

4. 03:14 Summary and Introduction to Guest

5. 03:41 Sentience and Consciousness in Brain Organoids

6. 04:10 Neuron Count and Pain Receptors in Brain Organoids

7. 05:00 Unanswered Questions and Discomfort

8. 05:25 Psychological Discomfort in Brain Organoids

9. 06:21 Early Videos and Brain Organoid Learning

10. 07:20 Efficiency of Human Neural Networks

11. 08:12 Sleep in Brain Organoids

12. 09:13 Delta Brainwaves and Brain Organoids

13. 10:11 Creating Brain Organoids with Specific Components

14. 11:10 Genetic Memories in Brain Organoids

15. 12:07 Efficiency and Learning in Human Brains

16. 13:00 Sequential Memory and Chimpanzees

17. 14:18 Different Thinking Skill Sets and Collaboration

18. 16:13 ADHD and Hyperfocusing

19. 18:01 Ethical Considerations in Brain Research

20. 19:23 Understanding Genetic Mutations

21. 20:51 Brain Organoids in Rat Bodies

22. 22:14 Dendrite Growth in Brain Organoids

23. 23:11 Duration of Dendrite Growth

24. 24:26 Genetic Memory Transfer in Brain Organoids

25. 25:19 Social Media Presence of Brain Organoid Companies

26. 26:15 Brain Organoids Controlling Robot Spiders

27. 27:14 Conclusion and Invitation to Part 2

References:

Muotri Labs (Brain Organelle piloting Spider Robot) [https://pediatrics.ucsd.edu/research/faculty-labs/muotri-lab/index.html]

Cortical Labs (Brain Organelle's trained to play Pong) [https://corticallabs.com/]

*For a copy of the episode transcript, email us at [email protected] 

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Summary:

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